The bell pepper feels like a cheat because no one has those at the farmers market anymore and I have no idea where this one came from, but I really wanted to try out a dirty rice recipe and it requires a bell pepper. At least I didn’t buy the box of Zatarain’s.

This is the first time I’ve bought carrots from the Co-op too. It’s difficult to understand how these are only $1.49 a pound there but $3 for a half-pound bundle at the farmers market. Maybe because they don’t have the tops? Or because it’s easier for the farmers to sell in bulk rather than stand around at the market all day. Either way these carrots are just as delicious as any I’ve bought, so it’s likely that I’ll choose the Co-op next week also for my carrot supply. With this price, it’s way easier to pig out on carrots, which can’t possibly be a bad thing.

Next Stop: Downtown Farmers Market

Whole chickens, 6 pounds: $27.00

Tomatoes, 1 basket: $5.00

Watermelon radish, 1 bunch: $2.75

Cauliflower, 1.75 pounds: $3.50

Kale, 1 bunch: $3.00

Brocolli, 2 heads: $6.00

Mushrooms, 0.73 pounds: $4.00

Total: $51.25

Don’t worry, I have no plans to eat two whole chickens in a single week. They went straight in the freezer and may last us up to a month. As with the ground beef last week, I don’t want to risk my favorite meat vendors taking a day off over the holidays and leaving me unsatisfied.

Nothing new this week, although this is the first time I’ve bought cauliflower at a farmers market (with the intention of making some of that cauliflower fried rice that looks so appetizing on other blogs).

When starting my local shopping experiment, I never expected to be buying fresh tomatoes in December but with large hoop houses and mild Texas winters I’m in luck. These red beauties are from Engel Farms, who also grow some mouth-watering canary melons in warmer weather.